Monday, December 28, 2015

Review: SQUAWK! SQUAWK! In An Inheritance of Ashes by Leah Bobet, it's 6 months after a violent war to kill an evil, dark god; but weeks after the war was won, the older sister Marthe, and the younger sister, Hallie, are both struggling hard to maintain their family, they wait for Marthe's husband to help them. They hire a veteran to help manage the farm. Meanwhile, strange, sometimes dangerous things happen. Birds with spider eyes circle the fields, ghostly messages are made in the lake, every phantom marching south to fight appears at her front gate.

An Inheritance of Ashes is recommended for kids in middle school years because this book contains some language, and contains vocabulary words for older children. I think this book was written to entertain an audience who enjoys mystery, thrillers, some action, and lots of details. I do think adults can enjoy this book too because this book is not childish, it really makes you nervous at some parts because you won't always be able to even guess what might happen and it can sometimes contain things for older audiences. This book is recommended for readers 12 and up, and for people who like complex. This is a splendid book for young adult readers.

Review written by Justin (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Clarion Books for providing a copy of An Inheritance of Ashes for this review.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Review: “I stood up straight. Two fat tree trunks rose in front of me, black against the purple black sky. I could barely see. I gazed around forcing my eyes to focus. ‘Brendan? Hey-Brendan’ I called in a hoarse whisper.”

In the city of Shadyside there is this girl named Rachel who’s 17 and she gets invited to Brendan Fear’s Birthday party (whom she has had a crush on since the 7th grade). She imagines the party to be a blast and for her to get to know Brendan but he’s is a Fear. Stories say that the Fear family and the location for the party is cursed. Will the party be an amazing time like she thinks?

Party Games, a Fear Street novel by R. L. Stein, is a terrific book. I recommend this book to 6th grade and up because there are some parts of the book that are scary - so don’t read before bed :). The book has appropriate words for 12 year olds and has some higher-level words. The story is written very well and is lively and full of action. The characters in the book are really believable and tell the story really well. The plot of the story is suspenseful and makes kids want to keep reading and find out what happens to the kids at the party. Overall I recommend this book to anyone who likes scary books.

Review written by Kristina (6th grade student).

We would like to thank St. Martin's Griffin for providing a copy of Party Games for this review.

Review: Middle school is a tough time for nearly everyone, but it can be especially hard on girls. Either they are too shy, too nervous, or too afraid to say their mind. Speak Up! A Guide to Having Your Say and Speaking Your Mind by Halley Bondy will help resolve these issues and teach you why and how to courageously voice your thoughts to friends, family, teachers, bullies, and crushes. This awesome book is for ages 10 and up.

As suggested by the title, Speak Up! is about, well, speaking up. With bodies and minds shifting from kid to adult, it is sometimes difficult to break out of our shells and stand up for what's right. The book offers exercises to help empower people on this and other topics such as bullying, friends, and relationships (ooh!). In addition, it will show you ways to combat negative thoughts and similar obstacles. For example, the author had an eating disorder when she was in middle school. But she never spoke up about it, and it took a while, but she eventually got the help she needed.

Speak Up! is a truly amazing book. The vocabulary is fit for the intended reader age, and is easy to understand. Though published this year, I think it will be helpful for future generations to come. I would give this must-read 5 out of 5 stars for being an overall helpful resource to boosting self-esteem. So remember, you should always be confident to speak up for yourself.

Review written by Karla (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Zest Books for providing a copy of Speak Up!: A Guide to Having Your Say and Speaking Your Mind for this review.

Have you read Speak Up!: A Guide to Having Your Say and Speaking Your Mind? How would you rate it?

Review: We'll never be apart. The whole story revolves around this one line. It's a twisted and dark book that makes you keep reading it more and more. The book lures you in, makes you want to know what is going to happen at the end. What book am I talking about? We'll Never Be Apart by Emiko Jean of course.

We'll Never Be Apart is about a girl named Alice that has been sent to a mental asylum called Savage Isle. There, she meets Chase, a boy who is just like her: broken. Chase and Alice become friends and Alice soon learn to trust Chase. Alice has found it hard to trust people ever since her boyfriend, Jason and her twin sister, Cellie, betrayed her. Chase helps Alice figure out who she truly is and helps her realize that the people that she loved the most were evil. Alice also writes about her childhood problems her and her sister faced in her diary.

We'll Never Be Apart is a breath-taking book to read. But, make sure you're ages 12 and up because some content might be inappropriate for you. You also should make sure you are mature enough to handle this book because it will cover topics like murder and it'll use so-called "bad" words. If you're not ages 12 and up, ask your parents if you can read this book. While the story is taking place in the present, there are little excerpts of her childhood that help you understand the story more and help you connect with Alice's character. There are two "parts" or "tenses" in this story, so you need to make sure you are reading attentively because it's very easy to miss useful information while you're reading. We'll Never Be Apart is an amazing book that teaches you a lot of life lessons and morals. One of the morals was that you should never trust someone that easily or they might break you. Overall, this is a sterling book to read.

Review written by Heer (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of We'll Never Be Apart for this review.

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Review: Do you like engrossing, intriguing, mystery books? If you do, Hide and Seek by Jane Casey is the right book for you. In this novel, Jess Tennant, a regular high school girl, is faced with a humongous problem when one day, one of her classmates that she was supposed to meet at her town's library fails to show up. She tries her best to find her missing classmate, hurdling over obstacles like family, love life, and maybe even the law. Will she ever be able to solve this peculiar case?

Jess Tennant has always been sticking her nose into other people's lives. It's a curious habit she's always had. But one day, at a Christmas party in Port Sentinel, one of the girls that is in her history class, Gilly Poynter, harms herself at the party after another group of girls gang up on her. Later after that event, Gilly is paired with Jess for a project. They plan to meet at the library. The only thing is, Gilly never shows up. Jess starts to fuss about it, but police officer Dan Henderson, which coincidentally is also the father of her boyfriend, Will, says not to worry about it. But things start turning bad. Gilly never returns, and the whole town is searching for her. Jess desperately tries to find her dodging all kinds of complications along the way.

Hide and Seek is perfect for middle school readers. There are mature references and vocabulary, so I would not suggest younger ages read this story. Mystery lovers will adore this novel. The character's personalities are all unique, making the book even more enticing. The way Jane Casey wove the events in a cliffhanging way every chapter adds spectacular aspects. The sensational final conclusion of the book will leave readers in shock, in either a good or bad way, you can decide if you are determined to read it.

Review written by Katherine (6th grade student).

We would like to thank St. Martin's Griffin for providing a copy of Hide and Seek for this review.

Review: Do you like books full of adventure and excitement? What about books with humor and cool characters? Then you will love the book The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan about a boy named Magnus Chase.

Magnus needs to go on a mission to keep a monster from getting free and destroying everything. He needs assistance from the Norse gods on his journey. He makes other new friends to help him on his journey as well. There is one big problem though, Magnus just died.

The Sword of Summer is a book primarily intended for middle schoolers, however teens and adults would enjoy it as well. The Sword of Summer is a novel with harder words and no pictures. The Sword of Summer has many suspenseful situations and scenes full of action. I believe the moral of this story is that having help in something you need to do is easier than doing it alone. I really enjoyed reading The Sword of Summer and I think it is you will like it too.

Review written by Jessica (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Disney-Hyperion Books for providing a copy of The Sword of Summer for this review.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Review: Have you ever wondered what's behind those trees, beyond the mountains, in the deepest caves? Well you're about to find out and explore the secrets and stories of the woods by reading A Creature of Moonlight by Rebecca Hahn. Come along on Marni's journey to find where she belongs, to the forest or the cottage?

Marni is a flower girl who lives with her gramps in a cottage not far from her village. She has always wandered off into the forbidden forest behind her house; people have forbidden it because girls have been snatched away by the dragon. Marni is the dragon's daughter, daughter and the woods are calling even louder for her to home to her father. Marni's uncle is the king, and wants Marni's head for being the dragon's daughter. Her uncle killed her mother for carrying the Dragon's Daughter. Marni now wants vengeance for her mother's death, and the only way is to kill the king. Now the woods are coming in fast and Marni needs to make her decision. Which way she will go for her future? The princess or the Dragon's daughter in the woods?

A Creature of Moonlight is a perfect book for my grade level and age group. It is very enjoyable and a good book for my liking. I definitely recommend it to anybody and I want a second book! I would read it again! I think the plot is very creative and the charters to. Also the description is so real it's just as magical as the woods in the story!

Review written by Abbey (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of A Creature of Moonlight for this review.

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Review: Do you like to read books that keep you trying to figure out what actually happened in the mystery? If so, No Such Person by Caroline B. Cooney is a great book for you. No Such Person can most likely be enjoyed by kids 12+.

This book is about two sisters named Miranda and Lander Allerdon, that aren't very close. One summer everything seemed to be normal for them and their family, but Lander is arrested for murder, and soon after that everything went downhill.

I definitely recommend this book because it shares both views of the Allerdon sisters which keeps you trying to figure out the mystery. It is also a very unique book that is nothing like I have ever read before.

Review written by Molly (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of No Such Person for this review.

Review: Do you ever want to read a book that is fiction, with a lot of drama? Well, with the book, In The Afterlight, The Darkest Minds Series Book 3 by Alexandra Bracken, you will be able to read a fiction book, with a lot of drama. Make sure you read the first two books though, because this book will be very confusing without the knowledge of the other books.

This book is about a government attack on Los Angeles, with a lot of kids who travel north to regroup. Some kids are orphaned because of this attack, others are scarred for life, and most of them lost their parents and are relying on other kids to help them. There is a girl who is named Ruby, and the book is in her view. She is with a group called Children's League, and, when Children's League disbands, forms a group with an unlikely allegiance with Liam's brother, Cole. There are still thousands of Psi kids suffering, and getting abused in government "rehabilitation camps" all over the country. Their group is doing their best to try to free all of them to get them all back to their parents. Or put in communities where other adults will take care of the orphaned children 'till they are old enough to take care of themselves. But not everyone is supportive of the plan Ruby and Cole make and craft for months, to free all of the camps.

The age group that is best for In The Afterlight, is ages 12 years and up. Because of the violence, adult scenes, and swear words in this book, this book is best for Early Junior High, up to any age. This book is not for young children. In The Afterlight is fiction, and is sometimes confusing, because they use code words for different groups they make up. This book is 535 pages long so, for faster readers, it might only take a week, but if you are a slow reader that barely reads, it could vary from two weeks, to seven or eight weeks even. The format of the front of the plastic cover on the book would probably be appealing to most Junior High students, if you like to read. Overall, the topic, and most probably the format, would appeal to many readers.

Review written by Madison (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Disney-Hyperion Books for providing a copy of In the Afterlight for this review.

Monday, December 7, 2015

Random House Books for Young ReadersPublication Date: September 2015List Price: $13.99ISBN-13: 9780385386173

Review: Funny, exciting, crazy, and entertaining. All these characteristics are in the book Hilo The Boy Who Crashed Earth written by Judd Winick. You can read all about his adventure about how he fell through the sky! If you want to know all about Hilo. Make sure you read Hilo The Boy Who Crashed Earth.

Hilo The Boy Who Crashed Earth is all about a boy who unexpectedly shoots down through a portal, falls into Earth, and is found by a boy named D.J. He doesn't remember anything until he finally starts dreaming about what happened. In his dreams he starts visualizing his memories. He discovers that a meteor shower is really his enemy, Razor Wark. Razor Wark sends giant bugs and pieces to build a robot that will destroy Earth. Finally, Hilo defeats the robot made by the bugs, and travels back home through his portal. Hilo's friends, D.J and Gina think Razor Wark won't attack Earth. Hilo leaves his toe behind, so he can talk to D.J in case any dangers are coming to Earth. D.J and his friend Gina both are lead to a spot where they observe something vast and atrocious. If you want to find out more, read the book Hilo The Boy Who Crashed Earth.

Would you like being friends with someone who fell from the sky and builds telescope in ten seconds? You can't be friends with him, but you can read about Hilo in this entertaining story. Hilo The Boy Who Crashed Earth

is an extraordinary graphic novel, and I loved it! In my opinion this book is mainly for kids from the ages 8-12, but if you are a little older and enjoy reading graphic novels Hilo The Boy Who Crashed Earth might be a good book for you. Hilo The Boy Who Crashed Earth helps you improve reading and fluency, but still entertains you with an intense climax. Some characters to look for in the story are Hilo and his friends D.J and Gina. Readers from ages 8-12 will love the character of Hilo because he is around their age and is a real comedian. In your lifespan you probably won't see people eating grass like a cow, but right here in the story Hilo eats grass right off the floor! How funny is that? If you want to know what is going on in the story, but aren't crazy about words then Hilo The Boy Who Crashed Earth tells a story through illustrations. The illustrations will help you understand what the plot is and how the characters feel. Also some people aren't very factual, but are all about entertainment then this book is probably a considerable book for them. It is tremendous for a person who loves entertainment because it leaves you on a cliffhanger and you feel like a character who is part of the story. This story explains to the readers that everyone is good at something, even you.

Review written by Adi (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of HILO: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth for this review.

Have you read HILO: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth? How would you rate it?

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Review: Do you love to bake and try out new recipes? What about recipes that are healthy but still delicious? Then The Big Baking Book by Ella's kitchen is the book for you!

The Big Baking Book has 100 healthy and yummy recipes to make with your family. There are extra activities such as pictures you can color, crafts for the food you make and fun quizzes at the beginning of each chapter. Each chapter has a different subject such as breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and desserts.

The Big Baking Book is meant for preschoolers and adults. In The Big Baking Book, there is a recipe called the "Cheerful Monkey Cream Puffs" on page 136. I made these cream puffs and they had really easy instructions to follow. They also needed very little adult supervision with only an oven and heating some ingredients up on the stove. The puffs turned out delicious and they are also very healthy. I really enjoyed The Big Baking Book and I think you will too.

Review written by Jessica (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Hamlyn Books for providing a copy of The Big Baking Book for this review.

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Random House Books for Young ReadersPublication Date: March 2015List Price: $18.99ISBN-13: 9780375866579

Review: She can do what with her powers? I shouldn't be in disbelief because she has pulled the same trick on me. In the story Shadow Scale a character named Seraphina is looking for others of her kind. She is half dragon and half human. She thinks that she is the only of her kind. Then she meets others. She is then sent on a mission by the queen to find all 17 half dragons and bring them back before the dragon war spills south. On her journey she encounters many obstacles. She must overcome them because she needs to keep moving. She is expected to find all 17 half dragons in only a matter of a couple of weeks. Who knows what she will find? Who knows whom she will find?

Shadow Scale is a book for ages 12 and up. The enjoyment level is somewhere from advanced 6th graders and up. But the vocabulary and complicated plotline make it appropriate for 7th and 8th grade. I would recommend this book to you because I personally like fantasies and this is an amazing fantasy. This is a good book for you because the author gives such vivid details. Do you like action in a book? Then this is the book for you. It keeps you guessing. You never know what could be around the corner. Some words to describe this amazing book are, remarkable, action packed, suspenseful, unknowing, and enticing. This book is just an overall good book. I hope you like the book Shadow Scale. I thank to Rachel Hartman for writing Shadow Scale.

Review written by Alex (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Shadow Scale for this review.

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Review: Animals save people without being told to. Animals save people without being trained to. Animals save people out of the kindness, worry, and love in their heart. If you love this kind of reading then Daisy to the Rescue by Jeff Campbell is the book for you! Daisy to the Rescue is divided into four sections with mini stories in each. Each section is divided into different topics. For example, part one is about domestic companions that save humans lives. Part two is labeled, "TRAINED TO SERVE, INSPIRED TO HEAL." The third section is about wild animals saving people. Last but not least, part four is about legends and folktales. I enjoy Daisy to the Rescue because I like to read about animals. The short story this book is named after is about a dog named Daisy that detected breast cancer in a researcher that was studying this dog. Daisy got awarded the honor of being one of the world's first trained cancer-detection dogs, and an award for saving a pioneer researcher. Daisy is inspiring researchers to train more dogs so that they can detect cancer in people.

This book is geared towards people 10 years and up. I recommend Daisy to the Rescue to everybody because the stories are so heartwarming and courageous of animals. Daisy to the Rescue will make you shed tears over how amazing these animals are. They put their life on the line to save other people without being asked to. That is amazing! Animals are an amazing companion to all I truly recommend Daisy to the Rescue to everyone!

Review written by Lily (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Zest Books for providing a copy of Daisy to the Rescue for this review.

Review: Do you love horses and want to know what is happening to them? Would you like to try and help them? Then Wild at Heart by Terri Farley is the book for you!

Wild at Heart includes many different facts and stories about the things that are hurting horses. Find out why people do these things, how they do them and real life occurrences that the author, Terri Farley, actually saw! In Wild at Heart you can read about how people help these horses to save them. Will the horses be saved?

Wild at Heart is a book primarily for an audience ages 12 years old through adult. Wild at Heart has more difficult vocabulary and beautiful photographs that were taken by Melissa Farlow. In Wild at Heart, there are extra parts such as ÒEyewitnessÓ sections which tell about sightings the authors saw and stories about young people who help horses. You can tell that Terri Farley and Melissa Farlow have a passion for horses. I enjoyed reading Wild at Heart and I think you will too.

Review written by Jessica (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of Wild at Heart: Mustangs and the Young People Trying to Save Them for this review.

Have you read Wild at Heart: Mustangs and the Young People Trying to Save Them? How would you rate it?